A blog from the Teaching Artists in Chicago Opera Theater's outreach and education programs

Monday, May 6, 2013

Reilly and St. Vincent dePaul: 2 Legit 2 Quit

Mandy Compton, COT Teaching Artist and Choreographer

When I begin to choreograph a dance, the first thing I do is
just listen to the music. I sit down, push play, and let the sound wash
over me. As I listen, I try to sense how my body naturally moves to
the beat. My body tells me what will work, and what will not, as I
begin to dance.

This year I was tasked with the exciting
opportunity to choreograph an original piece for all of the Opera for
All schools (Gangnam Style/2 Legit 2 Quit), and a special mash-up dance
for St. Vincent De Paul's after school program. Knowing what motivates a
dance in the context of a show adds zest and excitement to the overall
arc of any performance. I was excited when, for St. Vincent de Paul, I
wasn't just given a song to choreograph. I was immersed in their entire
script and lyrics.

Mandy and students at St. Vincent dePaul Center

Their mashup dance became more than a mid-show
diversion, it was a full out fight scene between the good and evil super
heroes! Teaching the dance to the students proved an exciting
endeavor. Because each song in the mashup (three songs total) brought
out a different element of the conflict between the super heroes and
villains, each change in melody brought with it a new mood and thus
completely different movement. We began our session by exploring how
each student's specific super hero (including, but not limited to, Mr.
Cool, Silver Rock, and Fashion Girl), would a) move, and b) fight off
enemies.

Students creating characters for their dance

Some of the kids were hesitant at first, but by the end,
everyone was excited to share their character's movement, complete with
sound effects. This helped the kids to incorporate their characters'
motivation into challenging dance moves. As I taught them the steps, I
tried to instill in them the same sense of relationship to the music
with their bodies as I use when I choreograph. We alternate between
listening and dancing so that instead of relying on demonstration or
example, they can connect intuitively to the movement and music.

At
Reilly, where I teach for Opera for All on a regular basis, our guest
choreographer was Devery McCoy. This was my second year to have the
privilege of working with her on an OFA dance day. She is a true joy to
watch as she always has creative ways of explaining and teaching
movement. She is able to teach kids with no previous dance experience a
full length (and, I might add, challenging!) dance combination in less
than an hour. She is incredibly patient and always encourages and
motivates the kids to do better. I took notes from her method last year
in preparation for my own dances and teaching this year! The kids
learned "Starships," "Space Jam," and my own "Gangnam Style" during our
two dance days.

It was a very special experience to see some kids, who
might not have stood out during class before, find their rhythm and
shine in their dancing. As a Teaching Artist for Chicago Opera Theater,
these are the moments I cherish. I'm lucky to be part of a program so
diverse that EVERY child can find a new reason to believe in themselves,
in ways they might not have otherwise imagined.